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| CHALLENGES FOR NATO’S NEW SECRETARY GENERAL 03/08/2009 |
| (2009-08-03) |
| Last updated: 2009-08-04 13:55 EET |
Former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, is facing a number of challenges that come with his new position of Secretary General of NATO. 56 year-old Rasmussen is known for breaking with Denmark’s tradition of pacifism by involving the country in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The current state of affairs in Afghanistan is one of these challenges, as NATO is currently trying to develop a strategy for their continuing mission in the region. So far, 64.500 soldiers from 42 NATO-member countries have been deployed in Afghanistan. Rasmussen will have to convince ISAF member nations that they need to increase their contribution to security in the region.
One other key issue for Rasmussen is that of relations with the Russian Federation, a country that has always proven to be a difficult partner for the alliance. In 2008, in the aftermath of the conflict in Georgia, it was very difficult to re-establish the Russia – NATO partnership. Looking at the Balkan region, NATO will have to organize the gradual retreat of troops deployed in Kosovo. Also, the Alliance faces the tough challenge of processing the membership applications of Ukraine and Georgia. Rasmussen became head of the Alliance at a time when many asked that the organization undergo thorough reforms. Some countries believe that NATO should take on a global position, while others favor involvement on a European level alone.
The Alliance will have to adopt new strategies by the year 2010, given that its current military policies date back to 1999, before the events of 9/11, before the conflict in Georgia, and before a significant number of countries joined the organization. While the risk of a Soviet invasion of the Western World is a thing of the past, today's world faces new threats – international terrorism, nuclear and ballistic proliferation, and the lack of security in the field of energy supply. With respect to relations between NATO and Bucharest, Romania was the first country to apply for membership in the Partnership for Peace program initiated in 1994, eventually leading the country to becoming a full-fledged member 10 years later. Romania proved to be a reliable partner to NATO during the Gulf War, and especially during Romania's term at the presidency of the UN Security Council. Romanian forces also played a major part in military operations in Angola, Bosnia, Albania and Afghanistan. During the conflict in Yugoslavia, Romanian authorities abided by the sanctions applied by the UN, and despite the population's pro-Serbian tendencies, allowed Alliance aircraft to transit Romanian airspace.
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2025-04-03
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